1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clock spring interconnector, which is used for a steering system of an automobile, for connecting a fixed member and a movable member using a flexible cable.
2. Prior Art
A clock spring interconnector is used to provide a connection between a fixed member and a movable member, in which one end of a flexible cable is secured to the fixed member and the other end thereof is secured to the movable member so that the movable member is rotated through a predetermined amount with respect to the fixed member. The clock spring interconnector is used, for example, as an electric connecting device in a steering system of an automobile.
In prior art, the flexible cable is received within a cable receiving portion provided between the fixed member and the movable member in order to prevent the movable member from being unrotatable by the presence of the flexible cable. The cable is wound spirally between an outer ring wall formed on one side of either fixed member or movable member and an inner ring wall formed on the other, so that when the movable member is rotated, the cable can be wound on the inner ring wall side or rewound on the outer ring wall side. In this case, the outermost portion of the flexible cable in the wound state is secured to the outer ring wall side, and the innermost peripheral portion of the flexible cable is secured to a part on the inner ring wall side and the portions are led out of the respective sides.
In the case where the cable is received into the cable receiving portion in the state where the cable is spirally wound as mentioned above, a space is needed to enable expansion and contraction of a winding diameter of cable between the outer ring wall and the inner ring wall. Particularly, the amount of expansion and contraction of the winding diameter of the cable varies with the amount of allowable rotation of the movable member. In the case where the amount of allowable rotation of the movable member is set to be large, it is necessary to have a wide spacing between the outer ring wall and the inner ring wall so as to meet that requirement, thus giving rise to an inconvenience of making a clock spring interconnector large as a whole.
Furthermore, when the cable in spiral form is received into the cable receiving portion, the opposite ends thereof are positioned in one inner peripheral side of the fixed member and the movable member and in the outer peripheral side. Therefore, the position of the cable brought out to the clock spring interconnector is restricted thereby, thus posing a disadvantage that the cable cannot be removed at the desired position.
Furthermore, the cable in the clock spring interconnector cannot be brought out normally radially from the diametral direction thereof but can be removed from the thickness direction, that is, from the vertical direction. Therefore, where a wide cable such as a flat cable is used, the cable is received with its width directed up and down. Accordingly, when the cable is removed, the cable has to be bent through approximately 45 degrees. This causes the removal of the cable to be very cumbersome and the bent portion of the cable is possibly damaged.